What if better building performance cost less to deliver?
Before the mechanical budget is locked, there may be another way to deliver comfort, reduce peak HVAC demand and improve the economics of the project: put the building's concrete structure to work.
Start with the total project. Not an equipment line item.
Development teams are asked to control construction costs while delivering dependable comfort, energy performance and long-term asset value. Those objectives are often evaluated separately.
Termobuild's air-driven structural thermal energy storage approach offers another option to evaluate: integrate controlled thermal storage into concrete floors so the building can help manage heating and cooling loads.
The opportunity is not simply to add a feature. It is to test whether integrated thermal capacity can reduce the mechanical scope needed elsewhere in the project.
Same structure. Different strategy. Rechargeable concrete floors with integrated air ductwork can be evaluated alongside conventional HVAC—not as a separate tank-based storage plant.
Where could the project economics change?
The answer depends on the design, climate, load profile and delivery model. These are the decisions worth testing before scope and capacity are fixed.
Are we sizing mechanical systems around a short-duration peak?
Identify the heating and cooling peaks driving equipment selection. Model whether charging and discharging the concrete can reduce the capacity needed to meet those loads.
What does that mean for installed scope?
Evaluate potential changes in HVAC capacity, distribution, supporting infrastructure, installation and coordination—alongside the incremental requirements for integrated ductwork and controls.
Are we comparing whole-project costs?
Compare the full mechanical and structural integration costs, engineering, commissioning, controls, operations and any schedule implications. A smaller equipment budget is not automatically a lower total project cost.
Does the long-term operating case reinforce the capital case?
Examine projected energy consumption, daytime demand, maintenance obligations, comfort and equipment replacement exposure. Test assumptions against credible project evidence.
Better economics must hold up across the entire project.
What can we avoid building?
Assess whether reduced peak mechanical demand can translate into a smaller or simpler conventional HVAC installation, net of the integration work required.
What changes in design and construction?
Coordinate concrete floor selection, air pathways, HVAC design and controls early. Test constructability, responsibilities, procurement and schedule—not just modeled energy performance.
What does the owner inherit?
Review comfort, control, energy costs, maintenance and long-term operating flexibility. A capital decision should improve the building's ownership proposition, not shift hidden costs downstream.
Use actual projects and cost studies to frame the test.
These resources help establish the questions and comparisons—not a guaranteed outcome for every new building.
Toronto Block 31
Review an itemized conventional construction and mechanical-cost baseline and the Termobuild comparison materials. The available Altus Group extract is a 2016 draft; full net savings require checking all integration costs and assumptions.
Review the cost analysis ↗South Carolina K–12
Explore the reported project capital and mechanical-cost outcomes from a large school application. Treat the reported figures as project-specific, not a standard allowance for other developments.
Explore financial impact ↗Historical estimates and reported project results are context-dependent. Project feasibility and savings must be established through current design analysis, pricing and scope review.
Find out early—before the budget hardens.
The right time to assess integrated thermal storage is while the team can still compare mechanical strategies and coordinate the concrete structure.
The goal is a defensible go/no-go decision supported by engineering and project economics, not a commitment to a predetermined solution.
- Establish the conventional baselineBuilding program, climate, envelope, load assumptions, HVAC concept and initial capital budget.
- Model the integrated alternativeAssess concrete thermal capacity, air distribution, controls, peak loads and comfort requirements.
- Price the full scopeCompare mechanical reductions with any incremental concrete, ductwork, controls, engineering and commissioning costs.
- Decide on evidenceReview capital impact, operating assumptions, delivery responsibilities and risk before advancing design.
What should a development team know?
These questions should be resolved in feasibility and early design—not after the mechanical system is specified.
Does Termobuild replace the HVAC system?
No. It works with conventional HVAC and building controls. The question is whether thermal storage integrated into the concrete structure can change the loads and capacity the HVAC system must serve.
Does it require separate thermal storage tanks?
The approach uses concrete floors as the thermal storage medium rather than a dedicated tank-based storage plant. The complete system still requires appropriate air pathways, HVAC integration and controls.
Can developers assume a fixed cost saving per square foot?
No. Cost outcomes depend on building type, climate, design stage, baseline HVAC selection, construction methods and local pricing. Historical comparisons are useful starting points, not guaranteed estimates.
When should this be evaluated?
As early as feasible—ideally before mechanical capacity, floor systems and major design commitments are fixed. Early coordination allows the team to test both technical fit and net project economics.
What if the project is design-build?
The same evaluation applies. Design-build teams can compare conventional and integrated alternatives across design, procurement, installation, controls, commissioning and operating requirements within one delivery process.
Before you finalize the mechanical budget, test the alternative.
Bring your preliminary plans, project budget, or mechanical concept. We'll help determine whether integrating thermal storage into the concrete structure warrants a detailed feasibility review.
A project-specific discussion, not a commitment to new equipment.